Plutonium in the environment of Poland (a review)

Abstract

Results of studies conducted during the nineties in Poland on plutonium in the environment are presented. Four laboratories were involved in the analyses of soils from different locations and types, including forest litter, peat, river and sea sediments, mosses, lichens, mushrooms, animal bones, aerosols from ground-level air, rain water, food products of the average diet, sea water and marine biota including fish. Samples were collected in the territory of Poland and in the Baltic Sea in the Polish economic zone. Ranges or only maximum observed activities are presented. The investigations were conducted mostly to estimate the influence of the Chernobyl accident on the present plutonium burden in the environment of Poland. The fallout pattern was reconstructed to study the plutonium inventory. The maximum inventory of global fallout plutonium was found in one sample of Baltic Sea sediment (314 Bq/m 2 ). The maximum inventory of Chernobyl fallout plutonium was found in the far north-east of Poland. It was 25 Bq/m 2 for plutonium alpha-emitters and 1.025 kBq/m 2 for 241 Pu. A difference in the behaviour of plutonium between global and Chernobyl fallout was noticed. The committed dose equivalent for a person exposed to Chemobyl-origin aerosols and to ingestion intake of plutonium from foodstuffs was calculated. The inhalation committed equivalent dose was estimated to be significantly higher than that from ingestion. However, both were considered low and did not exceed 0.1 mSv.